Agencies
Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked citizens for participating in the country’s latest State Duma elections, saying attempts to disrupt the vote failed and that the results demonstrated continued public support for strengthening Russia.
The three-day parliamentary election, held from September 18 to 20, was the first State Duma election since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Preliminary official figures put voter turnout at more than 59 percent, although the Central Election Commission initially reported turnout approaching 57 percent as counting continued.
Putin said the participation of voters showed that efforts to interfere with the electoral process had not prevented Russians from exercising their right to vote.
The Russian authorities reported large-scale cyberattacks and physical attacks during the election period. Central Election Commission Chair Ella Pamfilova said more than 100 million potentially dangerous attempts targeting election-related infrastructure had been detected and blocked.
Russian officials also accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt the election through drone attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the alleged attacks constituted an attempt to interfere with the vote but ultimately had no effect on the electoral process.
Putin also linked the election to Russia’s broader national agenda, saying that the government would continue working to strengthen the country and that Moscow would achieve all objectives it has set under what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
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The election results gave the ruling United Russia party a dominant position in the 450-seat State Duma. With more than 95 percent of votes counted, the party was reported to have secured 355 seats, while the Communist Party won 40, the Liberal Democratic Party 25 and New People 20, according to preliminary results.
The election, however, took place amid controversy over political competition and the participation of opposition groups. The liberal Yabloko party was removed from the federal party-list ballot by Russia’s Supreme Court, while several prominent anti-war figures were excluded, imprisoned or living in exile.
Russia has presented the vote as evidence of political stability and public participation, while Ukrainian officials and other critics have questioned the fairness and transparency of the election.
The vote also took place against the backdrop of the continuing Russia-Ukraine war. Putin has repeatedly said that Moscow remains open to negotiations while insisting that Russia will pursue the objectives it has set for its military campaign. The Kremlin said recently that there had been no breakthrough in efforts to resume trilateral negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States, although Moscow remained open to renewed talks.
The latest parliamentary election therefore carries significance beyond the composition of the State Duma, as the Kremlin is expected to use the result to demonstrate domestic political stability and support for its broader policies during the continuing conflict with Ukraine.
